Checking-in for an intercontinental flight with intra-continental connection
I'm curious about one thing. When taking an international flight, it is recommended to be at the airport at least 3 hours before departure. When travelling with a connecting flight, and your first flight is an intra-continental one, check-in begins just 2 hours before take-off.
Let's consider an example: Budapest - New York via Amsterdam. You arrive at BUD airport, and you have to take the BUD - AMS flight. Check-in begins 2 hours, because this is not an intercontinental flight, even though your trip is actually intercontinental.
So how does the recommendation to arrive 3 hours in advance still stand in such a scenario?
Best Answer
It's very simple — since you won't be passing through immigration on your outbound leg (assuming an intra-Schengen flight), the first leg you are taking is not international. Same applies for other modes of transport - just because I take a flight to the US after taking the train to the airport doesn't mean it's necessarry to arrive to the train station 3 hours beforehand.
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Do you have to check-in again for a connecting flight?
In most cases, you'll receive your boarding pass for your connecting flight already when you check in for your first flight. This means you don't have to check in again for your next flight. If you haven't received it, you can go to the transfer desk or kiosk of the airline you're flying with to collect it.Do I have to go through security again for connecting international flight?
Yes, a security check is mandatory when you take a connecting flight. This is because there is a time lag between getting off one aeroplane and getting on-board another to reach your destination.How do I check on a connecting flight?
When checking in your luggage in most cases it will be checked through to your last stop. When arriving at the connecting airport all you have to do is to go to your next gate and wait for the next plane, your next flight. There might be a security check in the terminal at the connecting airport.How do connecting flights work internationally?
In almost all cases, if your bags are checked through to your final destination and you already have your onward boarding pass, you'll go through transit security when you land at your connecting airport instead of customs.Check In At The Airport - The 7 Questions You MUST kNOW
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Answer 2
No.
The only difference over a pure domestic itinerary at the first stage is that there will be a bit of extra time at the check in desk if (a) you have some weird through-check-in problem with a partner airline down route that day and (b) visa/passport checks.
The other thing is that the "three hours required" thing is a bit of a myth.
In some airports, particularly where there are lengthy, bureaucratic and chaotic exit controls (India, parts of South America) then you really will need that much time at the international exit point. But you certainly wouldn't at the domestic part of the journey.
In my personal experience; in Europe or the US, where taking an international plane is not much different to taking a city bus, it is rare for me to be at the airport more than sixty minutes before departure. Life is too short to spend it at the airport.
If you are checking a bag many airports will not accept economy passenger baggage more than three hours ahead anyway.
The main reasons, I think, for the "three hour recommendation" is (a) so you cannot blame the airline's guidance if you arrive at the airport slightly too late and (b) to give you more time to do shopping in the airport. On those two points you probably will be "recommended" to appear as early as possible.
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